A/N:

Alright guys. So, first off I just want to thank all of my readers (whether you review or not, though please do! ;P) that have kept up with me and this series since Frostbite. And if you happen to be a random reader who started in this book and has VERY LITTLE idea as to what's going on (that's cool, I read the Harry Potter series starting with Book 5! I know, so bad...) then I want to thank you as well. Personally, I feel that's how the majority of my books work. I love to leave you all with questions as to what the heck is going on before very slowly leaving hints and seeing how long it takes for people to begin to spot them and travel along the bread crumb trail...

But anyway, I will stop there.

I do have...three things to say though.

First, I meant for most of this to happen, but not exactly how it did.

Second, don't forget to review and let me know what you think of the stuff that happens in this chapter.

Third...HIGH SCHOOL GIRL, AWAY!

AIDEN, WE COULD HAVE RULED THE WORLD!

Forty five minutes later, arms wrapped around herself, Christine was standing a block away from the remains of her family home. Max had very specifically requested that she not see him actually work. He'd said something vague about having another person observe him-standing nervously and uselessly to the side-messed with his flow. So, here she was, doing just what he'd said, feeling both worried and irritated. Part of was still uneasy around Max and she still felt like she could only trust the man as far as she could throw him...

"Alright, so I've got an idea of what we're dealing with here...I have to say though that it's no wonder the ORGR gave up. If you go along with the conspiracy theory, it makes sense if they were paid off or just realized what they might be dealing with here and decided to back the fuck off. If you go with my 'the cops are all idiots' theory, than it makes sense they wouldn't be able to recognize the signs..."

Blinking, Christine turned her head to the left, watching as Max came strolling down the sidewalk toward her. "So you found something then?" she asked in hopeful relief.

He nodded his head, black hair framing his face, his glasses reflecting some of the afternoon sunlight. "Mmm-hmm, yeah," he tossed her a quick smile. "If my deductions are correct, you've got yourself mixed up with a nasty bunch, Christine." His black eyes narrowed as he reached her, standing with his hands in his pants pockets. "I mean that. If these folks are who I think they are, they don't play around...And if they're targeting you...?"

He let out a long sigh, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Well, let's just say I think you should stick close to powerhouses as much as possible. Luke's nowhere near Aiden or Sera's levels, but at the very least he can handle some mid-level grunts if they get sent. Stick your cute little self to his hip and try to be cautious," Max advised her. "Sorry, but I don't include bodyguard in my package of services," he chuckled lightly. "...I do need you to tell Luke that he owes me fifty thousand jen though," Max stared at her.

Frowning, Christine shook her head in confusion. "I...no, why?"

"To follow this lead, I need to mosey on over to the Human World," Max explained. "I need not only some transportation money but also insurance money."

She shook her head again. "Wait...really? No, I don't want Luke to...D-didn't you say you weren't going to charge me?" she demanded shakily.

He nodded his head sagely, dark locks bouncing a little with his actions. "Yeah, I did. I said I wasn't going to charge you. But Luke's fair game, especially since he broke the unspoken rule we all have," he sighed. "Luke knew what he was doing. Honestly, I could be dragging a lot more than fifty thousand out of his ass. Besides, it's not like it honestly matters...Don't you know how the Frosts gain their money?" he inquired, a single eyebrow raised in question.

She stared at him, blinking, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "I mean...n-not exactly," she admitted softly.

He raised a hand to run his fingers through his hair, pushing it back from his face and the side of his head. "Yeah, well, basically, every amount of currency the humans spend on anything winter-based in the Human World translates to money. Every winter coat, every bag of salt, every box of hot chocolate, every Christmas tree, every extra-thick pair of socks...All of it translates to riches for the Frosts. In fact, it's so much money that part of the Lord of Winter's job during the other three seasons out of the year is to ensure that the extra income is passed on and divided between the other wintry-Others."

Christine's jaw dropped, her eyes widening in shock. "O-oh...w-wow. That's amazing," she whispered. So Aiden's in charge of the financial income and management of so many Others?

"Yeah...It just makes the Lord of Winter so much more admirable, doesn't it?" Max asked. His black eyes were hard, lips lifted in half of a sneer, voice filled with spite. "In fact, that's how all the Great Houses work. Spring expenditures bolster the Fae family, summer the Welsta family, autumn-which is stuff like the harvest and Halloween-the Canis family," he lectured. "It's actually ridiculous, the amount of money the Great Houses 'earn' in a year...Fifty thousand jen out of Luke's pocket is like the equivalent to a five jen bill to us plebeians."

"...You have to go to the Human World?" Christine decided to change the subject slightly. "Why, exactly?"

"'Cause the bastard that burned your place to the ground operates normally in the Human World," he replied calmly. "He's part of a group of specialists that go around killing Others and humans for a price. Today's high-class mercenaries, you could say," he chuckled. His eyes flashed red and his tongue snaked out to run over his lips. "My favorite kind of meal," he grinned ferociously.

Shaking a little at the very sudden aura of blood lust and rage from Max, she wrapped her arms around herself tightly. "I-I see," she swallowed, eyeing the dark man nervously.

Max gathered up his control, slamming Nox back into his cage. Gods damn it, stop that! he snarled internally as another pounding wave of pain washed over his skull.

Oh, c'mon, Max...This ifrit is going to get his ass kicked in hard and then we're going have so much fun playing with him! Besides, you do realize that we're going to the HUMAN WORLD, right?! Nox chuckled in excitement. That's a lot of snacks and meals on the way to tracking the ifrit down. How long has it been since we had a human woman, anyway? It's so much fun when they scream in fear...Nox chuckled.

Gods damn, you are a sick bastard! Max growled under his breath. You know we don't touch human woman because they're too weak to handle us.

Yeah, that's what I said. Why else would they be screaming, other than in an ecstasy-fueled combination of searing pain and mind-blowing pleasure? Nox inquired in complete confusion. Rape ain't either of our types of things. You know that as much as I do. Rape's off the table. We only want it if the woman's salivating at the mouth to have us...Which, of course, it's very hard, with this body...His voice returned to a cocky sneer.

"Max?" Christine murmured worriedly. The man's face was flickering quickly, the aura of blood lust, rage, and hate still surrounding him. He looked two seconds away from bursting out into chaotic, undiscriminating, and brutal violence.

Max blinked, his half-red eyes taking in Christine.

Take this little one, for example. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if we took her up to our place...

Fuck you, she's Luke's. Maybe Luke doesn't know it yet, but she is. We don't touch each other's women. You know that, bastard.

Aww...But she's not his yet, is she? It wouldn't be so bad if we have just a little taste. Besides, she smells...so good...

Letting out an annoyed growl-groan of pain, Max took hold of his hand and began to start to bend back his finger. Eyes going wide, Christine rushed toward him. "Oh my...M-Max! What are you doing?!" she demanded in a panic.

"Stay right there!" he ordered in a tight, tense voice. "I've got this..."

He pulled back his finger all the way, until it snapped, pain lashing through his entire body at the break. Grunting painfully, he managed to stop himself from screaming.

OKAY I GET IT SO STOP HURTING US! Nox screamed, his cries inaudible to anyone except for Max.

His face twisting in pain, Max shook his head. No, admit it. I want you to say the words...The pain was making him lightheaded and dizzy, but he fought it back.

CHRISTINE IS LUKE'S AND I WILL NEVER SEEK TO TAKE HER! SHE WILL STAY HIS FOREVER! I WILL NOT TOUCH A HAIR ON HER HEAD!

Good...Max let out a low breath of relief. His eyes narrowed to slits as he started to bend his finger back into place. Air came out of his teeth in a pained hiss as he forced the bone back to it's original form. Glancing up, he looked to Christine for help. "I, um...it may be a bit of a weird request, but can you rip off a part of my shirt, please?" he inquired bashfully.

She stared at him, wide-eyed and realizing without a shred of doubt that Max Wells was indeed completely insane. Moving skittishly, she came forward, tearing off a strip of the bottom of his shirt.

"T-thanks," he groaned, face pale. He reached into his pants pocket with his right hand, which he hadn't hurt, raising his hand back up. In his hand was a clean, wooden popsicle stick, as well as a small length of string to use as a tie.

Christine raised an eyebrow in alarm. "Wait...do you do this often?" she asked, aghast in horror.

He let out a nervous laugh. "S-sorta. Just kind of depends on the situation," he mumbled.

She stared up at him in confused sorrow as she placed the wooden stick against his finger to use as a split and began to wrap it tight with the string and piece of his shirt. "That's horrible. Why do you do it?"

"To keep my inner demon in check," he answered simply. "He's not exactly a fan of pain, most of the time. Lets just say he was thinking about going on a rampage and I don't like that sort of thing..."

Once she was done, she quickly stepped back as Max moved to cradle his injured finger. She stared at him quietly, her jade green eyes weary. "So you weren't lying before. You do have some sort of...evil spirit tied to you?"

He flashed a fleeting, soul-drained smile. "Something like that. Been with me since I was born. He's one of the reasons I decided to just say fuck it and pretend I'd died. Better to hide in the shadows where evil, unwanted things like me belong, I figured," he shrugged nonchalantly. "Honestly, it's the best thing."

His lips lifted into a sardonic smile. "Even my own family doesn't want me. My brother was ecstatic, since now he could pretend like I never existed," he laughed in a tensely nervous voice. "I...never mind that. I'm sorry. I tend to handle pain like this pretty badly myself."

"Are you honestly going to be okay?" Christine demanded. "You broke your finger, Max!" she hissed in disbelief. "Who does that? It's going to take months for it to heal now...You broke it twice, damn it," she sighed.

He smiled faintly. "Not, not really. It'll only take until Saturday morning to heal," he reassured her. "I just need to be careful with it and everything will be okay."

She blinked, staring at him like he had two heads. "...Say what?"

He pulled a small, black, smart phone out of his pocket with his right hand, holding it awkwardly with his left. "Shit, is that the time?!" he gasped. "How the fuck...? I'm sorry, Christine, but I really do need to get going," he swallowed.

Shit, shit, shit! he panicked internally. I've used up way too much time with Christine! Damn it! I still have to go back and get stuff ready, plus get packed, as well as changed, and...

"I don't mean to seem rude, but I honestly have to leave...Now," he emphasized. "I'll get in contact with you again when I find out anything concrete," he promised as he turned, starting to run down the sidewalk. His hand shot up and he waved it wildly, shouting back even as he kept going forward. "Don't forget about all the stuff I said about Luke! Later!"

Standing in shock, unable to believe he'd literally just dropped everything and ran, Christine stared after his retreating back. A noise in her pocket made her blink, pulling out her own phone. On the screen her little alarm clock symbol was shaking vigorously.

"Oh gods, the meeting!" she cried out, realizing. Thank the gods for the alarm she'd set! Turning, she started running in the opposite direction. As she did, she waved her hand out for any passing taxis. She needed to get to the insurance company and fast!

Three hours later, long after she would have preferred to be, the meeting had finished. The company claimed that since it had not been proven that any foul-play had occurred, they could only offer to reimburse forty percent of everything she'd lost in the fire. She fought with them, demanding a higher percentage, but they'd very easily shot her down...It didn't help that she honestly didn't have the money in order to sue them either. Lawyers were expensive...

I've already depended on Aiden too much. I really should just do the best I can with what I have...

Coming back, her taxi dropped her off further past the gate of the Winter Palace, pulling up beside some of the Frost family cars. She paid him before getting out. By now it was nearly five in the afternoon and she was already exhausted. Today had been long, filled with more drama than she would have preferred. Letting the barrier of air pressure she'd called forth to push aside the raging blizzard to drop, she stepped through the large entrance doors. Inside, the warmth of the place began to fill her and a tired smile lifted her lips.

A noise further down the entrance hall made her glance that way. Coming her way was the tall, handsome, blonde form of a man she'd only seen once and Prophecy's short, dark, curly figure. Prophecy was swinging her arms as she walked next to the man, who Christine had to guess was Felix Frost. A little smile filled the girl's face and she had a light of mischief in her bright turquoise eyes. As they spotted Christine, they grew even more. "Chris, Chris!" Prophecy called out happily.

Felix's attention snapped to the beautiful, blonde, jade-eyed woman. His lips lifted in delight at the sight, appreciating how good she looked. "Damn...Aiden really bagged himself another woman," he commented.

Prophecy casually stretched out her arm and elbowed him in the side. Felix gasped, coming to a stop and holding onto his side in pain. "Fuck! Damn it, kid!"

"You can't like Chris, Uncle Felix," Prophecy told him sternly. Her bright eyes stared up at him calmly. "Chris is going to be with Cousin Luke, once Dad comes home Saturday," she explained, keeping her voice down so only the man beside her could hear her words. "You can only kiss the person you love and want to marry. So Dad has to make sure Chris and Luke get together."

"Wait...what?" Felix hissed, alternating between glaring at the child and feeling curious at what she was saying. "Luke's kissed Chris?"

"Not yet," Prophecy shook her head. Slowly, a faint blush filled her cheeks and she cleared her throat. "But...but they'll be in a...a 'comprise position'."

Comprise position? Felix repeated in his mind in confusion. Oh...wait...A compromising position? Oh, well, shit! he laughed mentally.

"When that happens, Dad has to throw them out and yell and stuff, though he's not actually angry," she continued to explain. "Then they get married and live happily ever after!" she smiled widely, clapping her hands together.

"Um...w-well, then. That's quite the info you got there, kid," Felix muttered. "Too bad for Luke though, getting hitched like that and stuff..."

Prophecy's bright eyes narrowed and an evil little smile lifted her lips. "Oh, don't worry, Uncle Felix. Cousin Luke isn't the only one who gets 'hitched'," she reassured him darkly. "You're also on the list of Fate's Path," she warned. "Don't you remember what happened after you saved Mommy, Brother, Auntie Bri, and Bella? Don't you remember Pawpaw?" While Felix stared at her in horror and confusion, his dark blue eyes filled with terror and panic, she let out a long sigh.

"Uncle Bren needs his happiness too," she grumbled. "Uncle Felix, why are all the boys in my family so stubborn?" she asked. "You don't want to meet the one who will hold your heart and Uncle Bren doesn't want to allow Aunt Sera to be with him...I don't get it. You'll both be so much happier with love and babies and light in your lives. Why do you both constantly not want that?"

Felix's panic was climbing. WHAT? NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOOO!

...Also...this kid's scary. How does she understand so much? Can she really know so much just because she can see the future?

SHIT, WAIT, NO! DON'T GET DISTRACTED! I'M CURRENTLY PANICKING BECAUSE THE KID SAYS I'M GOING TO HAVE MY ENTIRE LIFE RUINED! FUUUUUCK!

I can't let this happen! No, I can't! What about all the sex? All the women? All the drugs and alcohol?! No, no, damn it! I love that shit! Fuck all this "happiness" bullshit, let alone "marriage"!

"...Kid, your jokes ain't funny in the slightest," Felix ground out darkly.

Prophecy lifted her head up to look into his swirling blue-black eyes. Her smile grew even more, a perfect match to show just how much she wasn't human. "I'm not joking, Uncle Felix. Your count down has started...How much time do you think you have left?" she smirked.

Felix gasped in horror, pointing a shaking finger down at her. "You, little monster, are a TERRORIST!" he nearly shrieked in a voice a woman would find very familiar. "Well, I won't give in! I will defiantly live my life how the fuck ever I please!"

Her face switched to a sweet, innocent expression. "But...Uncle Felix, I could never be a terrorist. I only play with everyone out of love. I only make sure that everyone is happy in the end," she insisted.

"Hey, keep the damn life-destroying grenades far from me!" he growled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Christine finally got near enough to hear them speaking normally. Prophecy leaned in close, wrapping her arms around Felix's side that she'd elbowed earlier. "You'll see. I only do it because I love everybody. I just want them to be happy," she repeated in a whisper. "You won't be happy if you keep up how you are now, Uncle Felix. Neither will Uncle Bren. You both need me to help you, since you're too stubborn to do it yourselves. I'll help Chris and Cousin Luke too, because I like them and they're family."

"Hello, Prophecy," Christine greeted the girl warmly.

Felix tried to pry her off of him, but the girl hung on tightly. Sighing, he inhaled a long breath. As he did, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. The fuck? Why does Christine smell like...?

Prophecy hide a huge smirk against Felix's side. It's already started! she thought gleefully. All the traps Mawmaw and I have laid are in place. Now I just have to wait and see which traps he falls into...Hmm. I wonder which lady he'll end up with? Auntie Bri would be nice, but there is also Angelica, as well as Elyse, Tilly, Wren, Qiana, Uri, Haley, Veronica, Britney, Natalie, Faith, Chloe, and Sadie...With that many potential ladies, there's no telling who will be the one Uncle Felix actually ends up with...

Letting out a small sigh, Prophecy told herself that she would only interfere upon Fate's Path again if the woman Felix was led to was Uri, Veronica, or Sadie. Those three were the worse out of the whole bunch of them. Uri ruined Felix's life in the two years that Prophecy could see. Uri's influence was bad enough that the rest of the Frost family disowned Felix completely from the family. Veronica treated him so badly that he ended up committing suicide. Felix fell in love with Sadie, but she discovered the secrets he kept closely hidden. Upon discovering those secrets, she rejected him, treating him like the monster Felix feared he was...Eventually; he ended up killing both Sadie and himself.

I can't let that happen to Uncle Felix, Prophecy decided firmly. I'll do everything I have to. I'll make him hate me if I have to...But I won't let him kill himself when he has so many possible happy futures! Eleven out of fourteen is a 78% chance at happiness!

"Hi, Chris!" Prophecy beamed happily. In the back of her mind, she was sorting through all the proper words to say in order to push Chris in the right direction. She was estimating the amount of time she'd have to say anything, as well as which words would have the best effect and which way to say them.

As a result of her Gift, Prophecy was, in many ways, much older than her physical appearance let on. Seeing what she did, as often as she did, had made her grow up faster than other children her age. She held back a sigh, wishing she was already at the age where the rest of the world around her would take what she said more seriously. Until then, she was forced to play the mostly innocent, but often serious, eight-year-old girl.

"...'Sup?" Felix greeted the woman in a practiced, bored tone. In his own mind, he was completely in a panic over everything Prophecy had said. How do I stop it? The kid's got to take it all back. I don't know what sort of voodoo witchy stuff she put on me, but I'll make her take it off, damn it!

Christine eyed the two. They'd been talking in animated, almost angry tones earlier, though she hadn't been able to pick up any specifics to their words. Raising a brow, she summoned up a smile. "Not much," she replied. So, he too knows Max then? The two seem like they wouldn't get along at all...Or perhaps they'd get along too well, she mused. Though, Christine honestly couldn't see how Luke and Max could get along either...In fact, how did anyone manage to suffer Max's presence for long? "What are you two doing here?"

"Aiden's having emotional trauma over everything that happened," Felix smirked. "He's being a big pansy," he taunted.

Prophecy swiftly and surely elbowed Felix in the exact same spot as earlier, grinning up at his pain-filled dark blue eyes that glared down at her. "Stop being mean or I'll be mean in Dad's place," she warned him. "We have to get going. We need to get back so that I can see Mommy and Big Brother with my own eyes," she reminded him firmly.

"Owwwwwww!" Felix grumbled darkly. "Bossy little kid, ain't ya? Fine, you little twerp." Saying nothing else, he pushed past Christine and started toward the doors. The air around him seemed to be compressed into a tight, angry aura of threat at anyone who got too close.

"Chris," Prophecy cleared her throat. "I need to tell you something."

Blinking, Christine turned her gaze back down to the little girl. "Yes, what's up?"

Reaching out, Prophecy took the woman's hand, smiling. "Tell Cousin Luke, okay?" she said firmly. "Tell him what you feel and hold him tight. He needs someone like you, someone who's good and sweet and loves him more than anyone else in the whole world. Luckily, Cousin Luke's darkness isn't very bad...But it's still there and he needs you to be his light for him," Prophecy smiled gently. "No matter what, the two of you will be able to make it through any troubles that come your way. You two were always meant for one another...Now you both have to realize, accept, and get up the courage to admit it."

Breathing coming out in a soft whoosh, Christine could only stare down at the girl. That's twice now...Two people who've both recognized easily and encouraged me to express my feelings to Luke...I-I...

"Don't be afraid of rejection, Chris. Just be afraid of regrets," Prophecy continued. She was hoping that Christine wouldn't think to question why she was talking in a way that belied her age. She could only hope that the mental shock Christine was experiencing would block out the idea of how Prophecy could be speaking and behaving like this.

"If you marry Dad and never tell Luke how you feel...If you never get a clear answer from him...If you never know if your love could be returned before marrying Dad, then you'll always regret it. You'll regret it and you'll never be able to do anything about it. Before it comes to that, you should go to him and ask him straight out," Prophecy encouraged gently.

Dropping Christine's hand, she moved around and past the stunned young woman. "See you another time, Chris. Good luck! Uncle Felix, wait up for me!" she called out after the tall man.

"Hurry it up," Felix muttered. "After I drop you off, I'm going out for a couple days filled with lots of partying! I refuse to have anyone try to control my life!"

Prophecy raised a hand to cover her mouth. Well, that lowers the list of ladies down to only seven then...All of them are the good ones, too. Wonderful..."Yeah, okay, Uncle Felix...Uncle Felix, can I hold your hand, pretty please?" she batted her lashes up at him.

Felix paused in the middle of starting to open up the entrance door. He glanced down at Prophecy, absently remembering that he wasn't wearing any shoes and he'd have to rectify that once they got to the Human World. "What? Ew, no!" he gagged. "Keep your filthy, evil kid hands off of me, you little devil!" he cried.

Prophecy rolled her eyes. You don't know anything yet, Uncle Felix!

"Why do you have to be so mean?" she whined. "Why can't you just let me show you how much I love you?"

"You think holding my hand means you're showing you love me?" Felix demanded. "Also, gross! What? Why do you have to bring that word into this?" he groaned in disgust.

"What, love?" Prophecy taunted. "I love you, Uncle Felix. I love you, Uncle Felix. I LOVE YOU, UNCLE FELIX!" she shouted gleefully into the wind as they stepped out into the blizzard.

The two pulled forth separate barriers of wind so that their hair and clothes wouldn't be damaged. "There! See! Why do you have to do that?" Felix growled. "That is a horrible, awful word no one should ever use. You do realize you're cursing right now, right, kid?"

Bursting out into laughter, Prophecy shook her head. "Uncle Felix, you're so silly!"

O O O

Two days later...

Aiden came back to the Winter Palace very reluctantly. Beside him, Bren let out a long breath. "Well...home sweet home, I suppose."

They'd rescued Willow and company on Wedsday and headed back to Willow's home from there. Felix had stayed to clean up the mess and Aiden's mind had been completely preoccupied.

Ever since rescuing Willow, he'd been trying to figure out what to do. His actions, betrothing himself to Christine after giving his soul to Willow, had activated the Frost family curse. Like every other Frost man before him that tried to have more than one woman, things had gotten wild, rocky, and dangerous. He could only see this as a warning. Willow had very nearly died, the curse telling him that he needed to choose. Which would he keep in the end? If he could not choose soon, he was going to loose one or both...

Willow. Of course it was Willow. It would always be Willow.

Despite how much he hated to think it, he knew Christine had merely been a last-ditched, desperate effort to do his duty...But there was also the matter with Prophecy's words. Hadn't the girl foreseen a boy child?

Frustratingly though, she had not clarified if it was with Willow or Christine! Raising a hand up, he ran it through his hair in agitation. What was he suppose to do? He'd already promised himself, financially and publicly, to Christine...But he'd given his heart, soul, and body-his very life-to Willow...

Back in the Human World, Willow was being watched over by Bri. She'd barely spoken to Aiden, no matter how many times he'd tried to pry her out of her shell. She'd also become insanely attached to Prophecy, Malik, and Marcus.

There had been a large mess that Aiden and Bren had been forced to clean up, explaining what had happened to the Wilson twins as well as the Chester family. But they'd managed it, using a lot of magic in the process, to hypnotize those that needed to be kept quiet and ask no questions. Even so, they'd tried to keep things as close to the truth as possible. The official story was that a crazy, ex-boyfriend of Willow's had shown up. He threatened her and the boys using the others to force all three into following his instructions. He'd then taken them away before authorities found the three and they were able to be saved.

Aiden was having to spend nearly four million dollars in total for the cost of all the mages, the fake lawyers, the pretend documents being handled in the Foster Care System...There were so many things he needed to pay for in order to ensure things went over smoothly and without a single hiccup. He'd also started the process of getting Willow's official adoption of Malik and Marcus, after explaining the situation to Mrs. Harris.

The elderly woman had been shocked and horrified, unable to believe that such an awful thing could have happened. She'd agreed easily enough to hand over custody of the boys, once things were settled. But both boys had insisted that they would still visit her every day and help out around her home.

All that aside though, he had not only this problem with Christine to figure out, but also the issue with everything he'd learned.

So...Willow had been treated as a slave as a child?

That would explain her fear of men she'd started to show after Andrew had shown up that night.

Had she gained her memories back at that time?

Most likely...

She's been forced to "marry" her cousin, before getting knocked up with twins from him...

That would explain why she seemed so adamant about never marrying anyone, Aiden realized. In her mind, marry must equal...Rage and sorrow filled his heart at the thought. Gods and I did the exact same thing, didn't I? I didn't give her a choice and I didn't...

Bren walked silently beside Aiden, eyeing his lord nervously. Aiden had been so deep in thought; the only reason why he hadn't run into a wall was because of how long he'd lived in this place. He, just like Bren, knew the Palace by heart. Aiden was walking on autopilot, his mind hundreds of miles away, going off the mental map he had in the back of his head. Every now and again, they would pass a servant in the halls that would start to call out a greeting. But a swift raise of a hand and an apologetic smile from Bren let them know they were better off staying silent.

The door to Aiden's study grew closer, just fifty feet away, Aiden making a bee-line for it. He had more than a few documents and reports he needed to go over, Bren knew.

A young Shadow Person Bren recognized as Fauna crept up to his side. "Sir Bren, I believe it would be best if his lordship waits to go into his study right now," she whispered.

Turning his head to glance down at her, Bren raised a brow. "Oh? Why's that?"

Fauna ducked her head, her expression embarrassed, though she didn't blush. "Um...Lord Luke is currently in the middle of an important discussion with Lady Christine, sir," she explained. "They are...They are..." she stuttered out.

Bren turned back to the door, getting an idea that would make things even more complicated if they turned out to be true. "Oh fucking hell..." he sighed heavily, raising a hand to rub at his aching temple. "Seriously, why does this always happen? Wait, Aiden!" he called out, hurrying after the man.

Aiden didn't even pause, paying no mind to anything around him. Pushing open the study door, he blinked, his eyes focusing on the sight in front of him. He blinked rapidly a few more times, his mind slowly digesting what exactly he was seeing in that moment.

Christine, her hair a pure white and falling down her back in a long, hot mess, was pressed up against the back book shelf along the far opposite wall. Her eyes were like quicksilver, swirling with power, the air around her whipped into a small whirlwind. The one who had her pinned was Luke, his own appearance showing he'd shifted into a power-fueled state as well. The two had halfway let go of their human selves in the passion they'd obviously been sharing. Luke's mouth was at Christine's neck, her head tilted to the side, arms wrapped tightly around Luke's body.

Christine let out a low moan, Luke's head lifting to devour her mouth. His arms pulled her even closer, until the two were basically plastered together.

Well, at least their clothes are still on, Aiden thought.

Then he burst out into laughter. Great, gulping, hilarious, choked gasps of laughter.

Catching up to him, Bren froze at the sight he saw over Aiden's head. "Oooooh shit..." he breathed out in horror. "Well, fuck."

Christine let out a mortified shriek, shoving Luke away from her with more force than necessary. Not expecting it, Luke went flying, slamming into the wall, eight feet away from where Aiden and Bren were standing.

Aiden began to laugh harder, struggling to breath through the crazed hilarity his life was in that moment. Bren's hand on his shoulder shoving him forward slightly forced him to stumble into the study completely, the giant behind him. Bren closed the door in order to afford this whole fiasco some more privacy, but Aiden still didn't stop laughing.

"I-I...I go away...for a week...a-and..." he struggled to wheeze out. "B-Bren...they were k-k-kissing!" he laughed harder. In the back of his mind, he realized this must be how Christine felt whenever she went into a laughing fit.

"...I saw," Bren replied calmly. His sea-green eyes collided with Luke's wide, teal ones. The younger man's face was pale, horror and shock plainly written on his face.

Christine rushed to cover herself up, since her shirt had been half-way unbuttoned. "I-I..." she swallowed. She had no idea what to say. She couldn't lie and even if she could she didn't want to lie. Aiden and Bren had both plainly seen Luke and her together.

Sucking in a sharp breath, she tried to look Aiden in the eyes, squaring back her shoulders. "I finally told Luke how I felt," she explained.

"H-he must have...Oh, he m-must have...loved that!" Aiden continued to chortle.

"I feel the same as she does," Luke cleared his throat, trying to calm down. Even so, he had no idea what to expect. Aiden laughing was definitely not what he'd ever thought might happen if the man walked in on them. "It came on suddenly and I tried to fight it off, Aiden...But when she told me that she felt the same, I...I let myself give in," he sighed heavily. "I'm sorry for that."

Aiden raised a hand up in a gesture to show that he wasn't angry. "D-don't worry...Actually...If you'd like, w-we can leave...We can go...You two can continue where you l-l-left off!" he finally fell to his knees, bending forward with his laughter. "Ha! You c-c-can have sex in m-my study!"

Christine gasped in shock, her cheeks flushing. "A-Aiden!"

Luke growled, taking a step toward his oldest cousin. "Hey, you don't need to-"

Reaching down, Bren easily picked up the smaller man and punched him in the gut. His face was completely calm, even as Aiden gasped, struggling for breath. "No. I think we're done with this little chuckle now, boss."

Gulping in painful, hissing breaths, Aiden felt the shock and humor leaving. Grunting in pain, he leaned on Bren to keep himself up for a few seconds before straightening. "...Thanks, Bren," he sighed, brushing back some of his hair that had fallen into his face. "I needed that."

"No problem, boss," Bren patted his back in friendly affection. "I'm always down to give you a punch when you need one."

Clearing his throat, Aiden glanced between Christine and Luke. "Alright, look. I'm not mad at all. In fact, I'm very grateful. It's wonderful news that you two have found your happiness in one another. In fact," stepping forward, Aiden moved to Luke. Lifting up his right hand, he patted Luke's shoulder. "I want to say that I wish you both well for the rest of your lives. But, unfortunately, I'm publicly unable to admit this."

Luke's face was tense as he stared at his cousin. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I have already married Willow with the exchange of my soul-stone." Luke's eyes widened and they jumped over to Christine. "...Yes, just as you are thinking. Christine was merely a front that I planned to have a son with in order to fulfill my duties. I do not hold any feelings for her, other than pleasant friendship. Willow, on the other hand, is the woman I love with all of my being..."

Luke let out a shaky breath. "The curse..."

Aiden nodded slowly, sadly. "Yes, indeed. Now you understand why I was so frantic to find Willow and take care of that mess."

"...Y-yeah," Luke agreed nervously, running a sweating palm down the side of his pants. "I would be too, in your shoes."

"Now you see why I don't mind this particular incident in the slightest?" Aiden asked, flashing pearly white teeth.

Nodding, Luke let out a breath of relief. "Yeah...I'm sorry it happened, but I'm glad there are no hard feelings."

Aiden's smile turned a little colder. "No, there are no hard feelings. But there are hard choices." Without a second's pause, Aiden's fist slammed into Luke's jaw, making the younger man's ears ring. Aiden caught him, letting him rest against him as Luke recovered. "I'm sorry about that. I need to make it look like I at least got a little upset over this whole fiasco. Also, speaking of hard choices, which do you like better? A duel to the death or exile and the stripping of your very name and privileges as a member of the Frost family?"

"Luke!" Christine cried out in worry. Bren rushed to her side, gently holding her back. "L-let me go!" she shook her head. Part of her wanted to rip the human to shreds, but she stopped herself. She was not a monster...Her powers began to recede, her eyes returning to their jade color, her hair it's normal honey-gold. "Don't hurt him!"

Head spinning in pain, it took Luke nearly a full minute to digest what his cousin was saying, as well as to find words to respond. "I...I would prefer the exile, my l-lord," he managed to get out in a dazed voice.

"...Good. I really didn't want to have to kill you, Luke. We both know that holding back in a duel of honor is not allowed." Stepping away, he crossed his arms behind his back, spine straight, face a mask of ice.

"Luke Frost, I, the Lord of Winter, strip you of all rights you hold to that name. Your accounts will be stopped and canceled in the morning. You will be given a day's time to get your things in order and arrangements made for your living quarters, whatever you may choose to do. After that day, you will no longer be welcome in the Winter Palace. For the crime of accosting my fiancé, dishonoring her, as well as my self, you are banished. The Winds of Winter will turn you away and you may never return to this place again. You are no longer a Frost. You are no longer of this clan, of this family. You are anima invisa!"

At his words, the air around them began to shake and heat up in response to the powers he was evoking. Luke cried out, falling to his knees as the magic slammed into him like a bolt of lightning. Christine cried out again and Bren let her go this time. She rushed to Luke's side, tears running down her face. "I'm so sorry!" she sobbed, cradling his body to her. "I never meant for this to happen, I just...I..."

Aiden stared down at Luke...Simply now, he was only Luke. Staring at the man, he could see that the magic was already taking effect. Luke wasn't exactly invisible to him, but his image was hazier...fuzzy. It was as if Aiden looked at Luke through a TV screen, with very low levels of pixels. Things were blurry and not very defined, but you could still recognize who it was you were looking at. Lifting his head up, he glanced at Bren. "Do you notice any changes?" he asked, curious.

Bren eyed the young man closely, his eyes turning gold as he used his Sight. "...He is...I cannot See him," he replied in a weary voice. Closing his eyes, he returned his sight to normal. Moving closer to Aiden, he stared at the young lord. "Was it really necessary to do this?"

"Exile from the family is better than killing him," Aiden nodded his head firmly. "You know as much as I that the idiotic royals will demand it. It's worse because of my position. If I were just some low level baron, things would not be quite so harsh. Unfortunately, as one of the Great Houses, it is expected of me to uphold a certain level of propriety. Allowing my cousin to get off scott-free for dishonoring me in such a way is not a viable option. Especially with the ruthless, possessive reputation my family has with it's women..."

"Luke!" Christine cried out. "W-why is he...what's wrong with him?" she demanded, turning furious green eyes to Aiden. "What did you do to Luke?!"

Sighing, feeling ancient and pained by what he'd done himself, he stared down at the two. "I have turned Luke into an anima invisa, an invisible soul. It is part of being banished from a family. Anyone with connections to the Frost family will be able to see nothing of Luke. I, for example, can only really make out that he is there now by the vague shapes of colors his body is made of. Anyone not connected to the Frost family will be able to see him better, but his image will be...unclear," Aiden coughed awkwardly.

After another second, he let out a low breath of surprise. "Wait...he is...he's disappearing..."

The blood drained from Christine's face in horror. She turned her head to stare down at Luke. Sure enough, Luke looked like glass to her. All the color had drained away and she could only tell he was there because of the weight of his body in her arms and the faint reflection of the light. "You did this to him? He's your cousin!" she cried out in pain. "How can you just toss aside your family?"

Closing his eyes, Aiden took in a long, deep breath. "Yes. Luke is my family, in my heart. But now, with the exile, he is no longer related to me by blood or name. All ties, except for the love and affection I hold for him in my heart, have vanished." Sucking in another breath, Aiden opened his eyes.

"S-so..." Christine whispered eyes wide as she began to realize what Aiden was getting at.

Walking over to her, Aiden knelt down and gently took hold of her right hand. He removed the gold engagement ring, tossing it aside, before rising to his feet. "From this moment, we are no longer betrothed. All ties you have to me are cut and our fates are no longer intertwined," he declared. The magic hummed to life, settling a few seconds later, as if appearing only long enough to listen in on his words.

Blinking rapidly, Christine turned her gaze down to Luke. His image was clearer, that was evident. But he was still like glass to her, though there was no longer the hazy film that had before surrounded all the edges of his body and the details. Reaching out, she cupped his cheek. "I'm sorry I caused this to happen to you, Luke."

He groaned in response, but he was still incredibly out of it. The magic that had slammed into him had taken more out of him than even Aiden had feared it would. Biting his lip, he cleared his throat. "He is still very unclear, isn't he?" he inquired of Christine. It was an odd picture the two made to him. Christine was vibrant and alive; Luke's body merely a faint outline beside her.

She nodded tightly. "Y-yes..." she whispered brokenly.

"Give him your name," Aiden instructed slowly.

Turning her head in a fast jerk, she stared up at him in confusion. "Do what? My name?"

Nodding, Aiden crossed his arms over his chest. "Yes, exactly that. Give him your name. Belonging somewhere-since he is not much more than a lost soul at this point-and to someone should give you the ability to see him clearly once more."

Christine's cheeks flushed brightly, but a determined, hopeful light entered her jade eyes. "Will it really work?"

Aiden rubbed at his chin. "Well, to be honest, I'm not sure. But from what I can guess...It won't hurt to try, will it?"

Luke let out another low groan. "W-what is...C-Christine?" he whispered in scared confusion. "Wh-what's wrong with you?" In his vision, Christine looked murky, like he was staring out through a finger-smudged, black and white-colored film to see her. He reached out toward her, missing her cheek and instead finding her shoulder, since it was so hard to see anything of her body.

Everywhere he looked, everything was in black and white. There were no other colors. Not even grey...

Blinking, Luke turned his gaze over and past her shoulder. "A-Aiden?" he gasped in shock. "I...w-where are you?" His eyes moving around desperately, he found that he couldn't find anyone.

No one else was in the room, besides himself and Chris...

Wait, no...

Squinting, he could just barely make out a very faint, very light outline of a body about ten feet away. The outline moved a little. "I am right here, Luke...So you cannot see me either, it seems. Can you see Bren?"

Squinting still, Luke took a few seconds to find a taller outline close to Aiden's. "U-um...N-not really," he admitted. "Christine's black and white, really hazy," he answered, realizing that was probably important to mention.

"Luke, I want you to know that I am sorry. It kills me that I had to do this, though I'm sure it may not seem that way. It pains me because I love you as my cousin and I always will..." Aiden started in soft, regretful tones.

Luke shook his head, but had to stop, since it made the world tilt and spin a little. "N-no...No matter how awful this is it's better than death. You gave me a choice and this is what I chose. I knew what exile would bring. They may not do it among the lower, middle, and lower-upper class anymore, but among the main royals it's still pretty common. It hasn't happened in a long time, but that's mostly because some people either think better of doing something to cause it or get better at hiding their misdeeds-"

"L-L-Luke!" Christine's voice suddenly cut through his words and thoughts. Turning his head, he felt sorrow fill his heart. He couldn't see those beautiful jade eyes of hers anymore. Her eyes were just black against her white face and hair.

I finally found the one person in my life to bring color to my world...Now it's all gone...

"Luke, will you marry me?" Christine asked in a giant rush.

Blinking rapidly, Luke felt like he'd just been punched in the gut. "I...wait...what...?"

"Luke-"Christine started to say 'Frost' but the name wouldn't even form in her lungs. Instead all that came out was a brief exhale of air before the rest of her words came rushing out once again. "-will you marry me? Will you become my husband and accept my family and my name as your own?"

While Luke still stared at her blankly, utterly in shock, Christine kept going. "Luke, I love you. I've loved you since I was a little girl."

Luke's breath came out in a soft exhale of disbelief. Earlier...she simply said that she had feelings for me, that she liked me. S-she never said anything about love!

"I always thought that I wasn't good enough for someone like you. You're so kind, loving...Those that come to matter to you are your whole world. You're loyal and funny...You've always been able to make me laugh, even with just a few words. I always tried to convince myself that it was nothing but some childhood crush...But no matter how many years passed or how further away you grew from me, I couldn't help but to love you..."

Tears leaked from her eyes and down her cheeks, her face pulled up in a shaky, terrified and yet brave smile. "I never thought I'd be able to have the courage to tell you...I had planned to just continue hiding my feelings, to continue pretending they don't exist. But then you...y-you told me that you liked me as well. A-and even if you don't love me, that's more than I ever thought I could even hope to have..."

"I...m-maybe this is selfish, but I want to stay by your side for the rest of my life. Through the good and the bad, the thick and the thin. I want to be right there; smiling, crying, laughing, and grieving beside you. You make me so much better than I ever thought someone like me could be before, Luke. So...Will you marry me?"

Bren's lips lifted into a small smile. That a girl! His hands rose up to clap silently, not wanting to interrupt this moment. Tell him all those emotions you've bottled up for so long now...

Beside him, Aiden wiped at his eyes, which had become a little misty, his own heart feeling lighter. It's shitty, how it happened. But hopefully now they can live a happy, long life together. I do hope you two will forgive me one day for what I've done though...I hope one day I'll forgive myself...

"I...y-yes," Luke found the words welling forth. He was shocked, surprised...and yet he felt no regret in his heart at the answer that it came up with. Letting out a shaky laugh, he reached out, a little clumsily, and pulled Christine against him. "Yes, I will."

Christine let out a small, strangled, happy sob, squeezing him tightly. "Thank you...Thank you," she repeated again. "I...I..." She had no idea what to do now.

Clearing his throat, Aiden stepped forward slightly. "Repeat after me," he instructed.

Leaning back a little, Christine nodded her head, flashing Aiden a nervous smile. "R-ready," she told him.

Turning to face Luke again, she began to recite the words Aiden spoke. "You, the anima invisa Luke, have been shunned from your former clan and those that called you their own. I, Christine Venta, offer you now my own clan, my own name. I offer you a home, a family, and a life where you may be accepted once again. Will you take my offer?" she held her hand out to Luke.

Grasping it firmly, his voice thick with unshed tears, Luke nodded. "Yes," he replied firmly.

"Let it be so," Christine whispered.

At her words, another bolt of magic shot through Luke. His eyes closed in reaction and he clenched his jaw, trying to keep his grasp of Christine's hand as firm as before.

As she watched, the color and shape of Luke's body began to return. Starting from their clasped hands, it began to travel further along, like water filling a cup. When she could tell that his eyes were squeezed shut, she let out a loud whoop of happiness. His eyes flew open in time to see Christine throwing herself into his arms, making him grunt in surprise as he caught her against him.

"You're back!" she cried out happily.

Wincing, as she'd accidentally elbowed him in her excitement, Luke glanced down. He blinked, realizing that all the color had returned...when he looked at Christine at least. His left hand ran down the back of her head, over her long blonde hair. Gold...beautiful gold, he thought in bewildered shock.

He'd been without color for ten minutes, at the most. But, very suddenly, he felt like he'd never seen it before. Every single shade, every different tone, every slight shift in color was like a feast to his eyes. He let out a shaky breath, holding Christine closer against him. "Thank you," he whispered against the side of her head. "Thank you for saving me..."

She leaned back, smiling brightly, tears in her eyes. "I did not such thing," she insisted, shaking her head.

Cupping her cheek, Luke gazed into her brilliant jade eyes and felt like his whole world had settled into place. "You're right. You did more than that," he teased, before kissing her softly.

Aiden and Bren shared a look. "Perhaps a hasty, discreet retreat is in order?" Aiden wondered. Even as he spoke, Christine was deepening the kiss. It was quite the odd sight to see, honestly. All he could make out was what looked like Christine kissing air, except for the parts of her body that seemed to almost...disappear, which Aiden had to assume were blocked by or touching Luke's body. Turning his back to the couple, he closed his eyes.

Bren was still smiling like a loon, his sea-green eyes dancing. "Oh, most definitely, my lord. I suppose they'll be taking you up on your earlier offer," he teased quietly as the two left the room. Bren was careful to make sure the door made no noise. "Fauna," he called out softly as Aiden continued on down the hallways.

"Yes, sir?" Fauna appeared silently beside Bren.

"Make sure no one disturbs Lord Frost's study," he instructed.

"Yes, sir," she dipped into a curtsey at his order. "Anything else, sir?"

"Yes, prepare a change of clothes of Lady Christine's and Lord Luke's. Have them waiting right in front of the door. As well, ensure that the gossip remains at a low level. Let all the help know that if I hear one word of this beyond the walls of the Palace, I will have them stripped of their position and bodily removed from the Palace."

"Yes, sir," Fauna repeated quietly, bowing her head. "I will make sure Amelia does not find out then."

"Good," Bren sighed. "She's always been a guiltless gossip." Leaving her to her orders, Bren caught up with Aiden quickly.

"...Just what did you mean by my offer from earlier?" Aiden asked, sounding weary.

"Remember?" Bren smirked widely. "You told them-and I quote-'You c-c-can have sex in m-my study!'" Bren mimicked Aiden's breathless, gasping voice he'd had at the time.

Reaching out, Aiden tried to elbow Bren in the ribs. The giant was quicker than his height would leave you to believe; easily slipping back and around Aiden's other side calmly.

"Hey, now, boss. It's not nice to hit others. Especially when they're right and you're wrong," Bren's smirk grew.

"...You are insufferable," Aiden rolled his eyes.

"You still love me though," Bren teased lightly.

"...That I do," Aiden sighed. "Though I have to question my sanity that such feelings for your crazy ass exist inside my heart."

Reaching out, Bren pulled Aiden against his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "Aww...You know you love me so, so much!" Bren grinned. "I mean, if there wasn't a woman in between us, we'd already be declaring our love for each other. I've always felt that...w-well," Bren murmured in a bashful voice, blushing faintly. "I've always felt this attraction between us!" he gushed out, raising his free hand to cover his face.

"There! I said it! Oh, seeing Christine's courage to confess her love to Luke's filled me with the courage to do the same," Bren waved his hand in front of his face.

Rolling his eyes, Aiden glared at the giant. "Must you always be so silly?"

"Boss, you should never brush off a girl's feelings. It takes a lot of guts to confess your feelings to someone else. The least you can do is give me, a poor maiden, a proper answer!" Bren tossed his head to the side, miffed.

Unable to help an amused smile, Aiden came to a stop, pulling away from Bren to face him. "Very well," he replied solemnly. "I apologize, Bren, but I cannot return your feelings. I hold only brotherly love and friendship for you in my heart," he murmured honestly.

Bren lifted one eyelid to glance at Aiden, arms still crossed over his chest, head still angled up and away. Slowly, he turned to face Aiden. His expression was filled with heartbreak and his bottom lip trembled with unshed tears. Everything about him told of a girl who'd just had her heart broken with rejection...

Well, if you added that said "girl" was six' five", built with lean and mean muscles, as well as a full-grown man at thirty years old...

But Bren's eyes danced with mischief and laughter.

"...W-we could have been great!" he told Aiden in a blustered bravado. "We could have ruled the world together!"

Nodding his head slightly, Aiden continued staring up at the giant. "Yes...I know," he sighed.

"But it's a woman, isn't it?" Bren demanded, reaching up to wipe at his eyes. "You just can't accept the sort of love that can happen between two men..."

Aiden's eyes narrowed. "...No...I can't," he agreed. "I don't particularly prefer that sort of thing. I like women," he added.

Bren let out a loud, dramatic sob. "I swear I'll have you one day, Aiden Frost!" he sobbed. Then, before Aiden could think of anything else to say, Bren ran down the corridor.

Staring after the giant's retreating back, who was doing a perfect-if not bizarre-reenactment of a high school girl running from a bad break up, Aiden could only shake his head.

"...Again, why does he feel like he needs to act like an idiot?"